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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27884221">Remembering Rosie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNerdyTurtle96/pseuds/TheNerdyTurtle96'>TheNerdyTurtle96</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Only Enemy I Can’t Live Without [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hermitcraft RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A LOT of Vex and Ven, Angst, But you can just skip over it if you don't like that, Chapter 6 is violence heavy, Gen, Not RPF, Somewhat graphic violence in multiple places, That’s why I put a warning, Yeah mostly angst, a character dies, but I’m not sure if they’re a major or minor character, multi-chapter, original backstory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:40:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,328</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27884221</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNerdyTurtle96/pseuds/TheNerdyTurtle96</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cub never wanted to be a Vex mage. He never desired to get tangled up in the wicked ways of those magical creatures. Most of all, he never wished that his beloved sister would be used to get him to stay in line with an agenda he hated with a burning passion. But fate had other ideas.</p>
<p>—————</p>
<p>Please do not post on Twitter or read on camera. If you are a hermit and would prefer that I change something, I’m happy to work with you.</p>
<p>This is also posted on Wattpad under the same username as here.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>None</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Only Enemy I Can’t Live Without [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. “No, Take Me”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I will tell you right now, this first chapter has zero mentions of any of the names of the hermits. Just chill, I need a chapter of exposition first. Alright, let’s crack on with this tale!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Exposition, expedition, and entrapment.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Charlie and Rosie Feldhake were widely known as the two daredevils of the city. The twins had been running around, climbing trees, hiking new trails, and causing their mother worry from an early age. No dare was ever declined by the two and their combined list of injuries was very, very long. However, they were also incredibly kind and intelligent, which mostly kept them in their teachers’ good graces. </p><p>
  
  <span>Charlie’s most famous accomplishment was spending a week camping out on the fourth-story roof of the school in 5th grade. He had also helped Rosie build a network of treehouses in the woods behind their house, which they spent more time in than their own home. For the summer before their junior year of high school, the two had made a whole list of adventures to take, as they were now 16 and could travel to other worlds. One of their biggest items was to conquer a woodland mansion. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>The twins had taken lessons in combat for years and they were very good at fighting. Still, their friends and family were worried about the woodland mansion quest. So many dangerous creatures resided there, and several adventurers had gone to woodland mansions and never returned. Regardless, their mother let them go and wished them good luck on their journey.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Several days later, Charlie and Rosie were at the entrance of a woodland mansion, fully geared up and prepared for a heavy fight. The zombies, skeletons, and creepers that roamed the dimly lit halls were no problem. However, the real challenge laid deep within the heart of the mansion. Legend said villagers corrupted by the power of the Vex went insane and wielded axes against their former friends. Specially chosen subjects would receive Vex magic and use it however their masters wanted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The twins knew all of this, but they still chose to forge ahead to their goal: obtaining the golden key. That was the mark of an honored adventurer, one who had valiantly fought their way into glory and miraculously lived to tell the tale. From other quests, the twins had earned numerous silver keys, but those meant nothing to them at this point. Golden keys could only be earned by defeating a place under either the Vex or the Void’s control. Since fighting the Ender Dragon was a firm no from their mother, a woodland mansion was their quest of choice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As per usual, Charlie and Rosie stuck close to each other’s sides. Sure, dividing and conquering sounded good in theory, but various battle scars and incidents had caused them to abandon that tactic. One was needed to watch the other’s back while they ventured through the hallways and made their way to the treasure room. Charlie was better with navigation, so he kept track of where they had already been and sketched out a map as they went. Rosie made good use of her favorite bow and sword, shouting at her twin brother occasionally when a creeper strayed too close by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Using this strategy, the first floor was soon fully explored and the twins made their way up to the second floor, marveling at the grand staircase. On this floor, there were even more enemies and several corrupted villagers, or illagers, as some called them, chased the two around. Charlie felt a little sorry for having to kill the illagers, but Rosie gently reminded him that they had already submitted fully to the Vex’s power and there was no saving them from it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rooms were always interesting to explore, as they seemed to be filled with completely random things. On one side of the hall, a plant nursery completely in the dark sat waiting, much like the empty conference room on the other side of the hallway. An old, dusty library surprised Rosie around a corner, while Charlie found a massive statue of a cat quite amusing. They couldn’t stop and admire the architecture for too long, though. Survival was slightly more important and hostile creatures were everywhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After another hour or so, the second floor was clear and the two took a moment to catch their breath before climbing their way up to the third and final floor. Here, they would find the token of their desire: the golden key. Additionally, they discovered huge clusters of illagers, axes raised and running at enhanced speeds due to the Vex magic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trickiest part was dealing with the mages. Their long robes signified their affiliation with the Vex and with a wave of their arms, tiny Ven would spawn, swords equipped and expressions terrifying. Since the Ven were pure Vex magic, it was impossible to hide from them, especially when they could travel through solid walls and floors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those mages and Ven turned out to be where Charlie and Rosie finally met their match. The tiny demons were too much and completely surrounded the twins, trapping them in a circle and attacking from all sides. Charlie desperately stabbed at them, but it seemed as though two took the place of each fallen brethren. Finally, Rosie let out a cry of anguish and fell to the ground, her right arm heavily bleeding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charlie immediately dropped to her side and tried to hold up a shield to protect against the Ven. Unfortunately, they shifted to form a wall between the twins, preventing him from giving Rosie any medical attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahh, they will make a fine fighter,” one of the Ven hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yesss, she shall become one of usss,” another cheered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At those words, Charlie’s blood turned cold. The thought of his beloved twin sister becoming one of the mindless servants whose corpse lay on the floor of the mansion was horrifying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO!” Charlie screamed at the Ven, not actually expecting them to take notice of him. “You can’t do this to her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sssssilly boy. Why can we not?” one of the Ven cackled, smirking at the distressed boy. “And why do you even care? We take her and you go ssscot-free.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, take me!” The statement blurted itself out of his system before he could even comprehend what he was saying. “Let her go and I will take her place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahh, it’s one of those onessss,” a Ven sighed while shaking its head. “Always trying to ssssave their friends and put them ahead of themselvesss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think thisss one could be a good mage,” one of the Ven hissed. “I can feel hissss power, waiting to be used.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We shall take him then,” another Ven, who seemed to be the leader, concluded. “Little boy, your wish has been granted. You will take your companion’s place and from now on, you will obey the orderssss of the Vex.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charlie nervously gulped as he glanced at Rosie. Her eyes were wide, and he could tell that she was trying not to scream at him for his decision. Shooting her a quick, apologetic look, he faced the Ven once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A white flash suddenly blinded Charlie, and it was so disturbing that he instantly lost consciousness. All of his senses were mixed up, and his body just decided to shut down and come back later. The Vex were in control, though. They would make sure that he would not die. He was too precious of a cargo to lose.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. “You Will Not Protest”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We meet some people and learn some names in this strange place.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Now, you shall see why I didn’t name any hermits until this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once Charlie finally came to, the Vex had already finished transporting him to a different world. From the cold, grey aesthetic, it was fairly obvious that it was their training facility for new Vex. Highlights of bright blue rounded out the color scheme, though the place still felt like a prison, which it was. The Vex didn’t like that thought, though.</p><p>
  <span>“No, it isss an academy! Not a prissson!” One of the Ven was angrily crossing their arms at Charlie’s remark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure about that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will need to learn some mannerssss if you want to ssssurvive this place, boy,” the Ven huffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name is Charlie,” he insisted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not any more, boy. All Vex receive a new name and you shall be called Cub.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t hit all at once, but the feeling of your most basic identity being stripped away was something unimaginably hard to describe. At that particular moment, Charlie’s knee-jerk reaction was to protest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want a new name. Charlie is just fine.” He glared at the Ven, who gave a quick head shake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cub, the firsssst thing you should know about usssss is that you cannot defeat usssss. You can only join usssss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if I don’t want to?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cub, you made a promisssssse. You sssswore that you would take your companion's place. You ssssaid that you would obey the orderssss of the Vex. You cannot go back on your word.” The Ven’s tone was level and firm, laced with a cold discipline that made Charlie gulp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happens if I do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do all the new people have ssssso many questionssssss?” the Ven muttered under their breath, an eye roll accompanying the words. “Well, I should show you anyway. Follow me, Cub.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charlie nervously walked behind the Ven, who led the boy down empty, cold hallways. Metal reinforced doors lined the walls, leading off into rooms which Charlie assumed were for training or housing prisoners. Not prisoners, though. The Vex didn’t want him to think that way. Might as well get in the habit of calling them trainees or recruits like they wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, the Ven stopped in front of a door and recited some words in a language Charlie couldn’t understand a speck of, causing the door to swing open. Stepping inside the room, it was so dark that Charlie could barely see anything. There wasn’t really anything in the room to see, though. The only thing that broke up the grey monotone of the prism was a darkened window on one wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cub, you made a promissssssse to follow our ordersssss. We know that you will be a good boy and keep your word. But jussssst in casssssse you don’t, remember thisssssss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ven rubbed their tiny hands together and chanted another spell. Now, Charlie could see through the window. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to, though. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other side of the window was a prison cell. There was absolutely no denying that, as it had iron bars and looked completely like a stereotypical prison cell. Inside was a person that Charlie was devastated to see once again: Rosie. She was unconscious and lying on the floor, fully disarmed and shoved into a blue jumpsuit. At the sight of her, his entire body went numb and a chilling horror spread in his veins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said that you would let her go!” Charlie cried to the Ven, who cackled in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh Cub, we never ssssssaid that. We only sssssaid that you would take her place. If we had taken </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it would be you behind that window.” The Ven cruelly grinned at Charlie, whose eyes were beginning to well up with tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why? What are you doing to her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All of you new recruitssssss are sssssstubborn at firsssst. You’re more willing to die than follow our ordersssss. However, you sssssilly humans have emotional attachmentssss to your friendssss. You follow our ordersssss when we threaten to hurt them insssstead. Ssso to ansssswer your quessstion, we won’t do anything to her if you cooperate. But if you dissssssobey, then she will receive your punishment,” the Ven explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sssssso, will you follow our ordersssss, Cub?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charlie looked tearfully over at Rosie and offered a small nod to the Ven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t hear you,” the Ven sang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I will follow your orders,” Charlie responded with a heavy heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you will now be called Cub and you will not protessssssst.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yes.” His lip trembled the slightest bit as the Ven’s wicked smile grew wider.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good choice, Cub. Now, follow me and I will show you where you will be ssssstaying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ven cheerfully exited the room and danced through the air, Cub silently following right behind him. He couldn’t hurt Rosie and he knew that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe from these evil creatures. He would even give up his own name, the most crucial shred of his humanity. All that mattered was protecting his sister from harm.</span>
</p><p>—————</p><p>
  <span>The plain hallways offered nothing interesting to see, so Cub kept his head down, occasionally glancing up at the Ven guiding him through the compound. Finally, the creature shouted a lengthy recitation at a door, causing it to swing open and an unnerving thump to resound through the small room the Ven gestured for Cub to enter into. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thissssss is your room. We will come for you later for more instructionssssss. Don’t try any funny businessssssss, or you know what will happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small burst of Vex magic pushed Cub against the wall while the door slammed shut, trapping him inside. Once the door closed, the spell was released and Cub sank to the cold floor, exhausted from his very, very long day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So it’s your first day, too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning his head, Cub could see another man sitting on the ground, his legs stretched straight out in front of him. The other man pulled together a grim smile and extended his hand. Cub cautiously shook it, noticing that their grip was strong and their palms were speckled with calluses, just like his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just got here a few hours before you. Or maybe earlier than that. It’s hard to tell around here!” A small laugh, the first one all day, escaped his lips and the other man seemed to cheer up at the response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what do they call you?” Cub knew that the Vex would not be happy if the two exchanged their real names. It was probably safer not to know, anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They named me Scar,” the man answered. “It’s actually quite fitting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a closer look at Scar’s face, Cub noticed a large scar trailing near his right eye, as well as several smaller ones peppering his face. Despite the marks, Scar’s expression was uplifting, his jade eyes twinkling in the dim light and a few splotches of freckles spread across his cheeks. Truly, he was beautiful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could see how they would come to that name.” Cub smiled just a tiny bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Scar flatly replied. From the way his gorgeous smile deflated, Cub could tell that it was a sensitive topic he shouldn’t pry into right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, they call me Cub. I’m not sure why.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm. Maybe they thought you were protective of something or someone? I don’t really know.” Scar looked up at the ceiling and placed a finger under his lips as he thought for a second, then shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That kind of makes sense…” Cub’s voice trailed off as memories of the fight at the woodland mansion flooded his brain. He could so clearly see himself standing up and offering himself up in Rosie’s place, trying to protect her. The younger version of himself was attempting to stand between her and the Vex, like a mama bear protecting her cubs. Now that he thought about it, the reasoning behind the name became clear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, now that he knew what the Vex were up to, he realized that it would have been more heroic to be the leverage for her to cooperate. They wouldn’t physically hurt her that way and he would take the punishment for her in a heartbeat, even if it meant death. The problem was that Rosie would be the one paying for his mistakes, when it should be the other way around. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cub</span>
  </em>
  <span> needed to step up and be strong for her, not Rosie for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought I could save her, but I think I’ve hurt her even worse.” Cub didn’t realize that he had said that out loud until Scar scooted over next to him and offered a gentle hug. The gesture, which was gratefully accepted, broke down the dam and words came tumbling out of his mouth, tears streaking down his face as he rambled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said that I would take her place and I thought they would let her go, but dammit! No, they still took her. They still took her and they’ll hurt her if I don’t do what they want. What if I don’t want to be one of them? I just wanted to save her. All I want is to see her safe…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His body erupted with sobs as the memories became just too much to handle. Scar wrapped his arms around Cub and silently held the man as he wept and shook. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I know it’s a lot, and I’m sorry. It’s okay to miss her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“T-thank you,” Cub choked back a round of tears to stammer out a response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two men kept talking and crying and holding each other for several hours as memories and stories were shared. Never before had Cub trusted someone with his deepest secrets and concerns so quickly, but it was immensely comforting to have someone who understood and sympathized with his pain. Scar evidently felt more relaxed, too, giving this horrible imprisonment one silver lining. There was someone that he could talk to in this place, someone who also wanted to cling to their humanity and preserve their past.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. “You’re Really Making Me Proud”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Punishment, glory, exaltation, and the hell of giving into temptation.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Quick notes: Ven (like the Minecraft mob) hiss, so that’s why the “s” is drawn out. The singular Vex mentioned from here on out is the leader of all the Ven and the controller of all Vex magic and they do not hiss. The Vex in the plural sense are the name of the whole group of the head Vex, Ven, corrupted villagers (illagers), and vex mages. Ven are referred to as it/it’s, the Vex and illagers as they/them.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been many years of misery under the watchful eye of the Vex for Cub and Scar. Together, they learned how to cast spells, control Vex magic, and listen for orders from the Vex. Never were they allowed to experiment on their own. Vex magic could only be used the way the Vex wanted it to be used. Otherwise, particularly strong recruits could potentially use their magic to escape and that was exactly what the Vex didn’t want.</p><p>
  <span>Cub and Scar weren’t the best of the mages, but they were still close to the top of their class. Every recruit was assigned a partner and few talked with anyone besides their partner. After a long day of classes, many recruits didn’t even have enough energy to say hello to their partner, who they shared a room with. Cub and Scar always tried to be polite to each other, no matter how tired they were. They were each other’s found family and they supported each other for years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, after six long, hard years of training, the Vex were ready to induct Cub and Scar’s class of recruits. Every mage who passed would be given an assignment, always with a partner. The system had been carefully designed so that if one partner defected, the other loyal one could inform the Vex and the deserter could receive proper punishment. Almost every recruit had learned the meaning of punishment at some point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was the time where Cub refused to learn the lethal class of spells, which was why Rosie didn’t have her left hand anymore. He quickly gave in after being forced to watch the messy amputation. Scar had slowly accumulated more marks all over his body as the years went by, which he explained one tearful night was because he was his own leverage to stay with the Vex. Too chicken to die and too ashamed to disobey: it was exactly where the Vex wanted him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cub tried to keep the memories of the punishments out of his head as he faced the Vex, head held unusually high and throat uncomfortably tight.  Scar was right at his side, the brunette’s gaze stuck to the floor like glue. Both were wearing robes that completely swallowed them in a sea of sky blue. It wasn’t their normal attire, but today wasn’t a normal day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pair were standing before the ruler of the Vex in the summoning room, which looked much like a church sanctuary. Smooth, black tiles covered the floor and a long, blue carpet stretched down the center of the hall. Grand, curved rafters held up the tall ceiling and the walls were coated with dazzling mosaics. At the very end of the hall, a diamond throne sat on top of a platform, the intricate carvings depicting the legacy of the Vex. However, the men were too nervous about the Vex ruler in front of them to pay too much attention to the splendor of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cub and Scar, you have satisfactorily completed your mage training. Well done.” The Vex, a shiny, golden crown resting on their head, gave a slight nod to the two men. “Now, you shall receive your assignment. The community that you have been chosen to be a part of is called Kingdomcraft. You have already been accepted by the community and will head out there in two days. Arrive at this room early for the travel between worlds. You are dismissed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cub bowed before the obviously pleased Vex before marching out of the eerie room with Scar. Their courses had trained them to assimilate into a community while still serving the Vex, but the thought of having to actually do it for real was more than mildly terrifying. At the very least, the Vex’s control wouldn’t be quite as strong in a different world and they wouldn’t be able to control their mage’s words anymore. It had been years since Cub and Scar had been allowed to speak for themselves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glancing at Scar, the man appeared to be just fine from a surface look, but Cub knew his friend very, very well and could tell that he was on the verge of completely breaking down. A tiny hand squeeze signaled that Cub was right here and that things would be not so terrible. He couldn’t say that things would be okay, as they never really were.</span>
</p><p>—————</p><p>
  <span>Cub hadn’t been in the summoning room for several years, but the time away hadn’t made it any more pleasant. In fact, it actually felt more possessed and unnerving than ever before. Still, Cub attempted to mask his shudders as he lightly stepped along the blue carpet down the center of the grand hall. Once he reached the diamond throne, raised up high and mighty on a platform, the man knelt and bowed before the Vex, his sky blue robes flowing on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honorable Vex, we have come to you today with a problem for you, o wise one, to solve.” Internally, Cub rolled his eyes at the fancy language, but it made the Vex happy and that was exactly what he needed on this particular day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on, Cub.” A wave of the Vex’s intricately crafted scepter allowed Cub to return to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our incorporation into the Kingdomcraft community has been highly successful. Everyone trusts us and no one suspects that we are mages. However, the community has been talking about disbanding. Some of the members are planning to join a different community, others have decided to return to their homelands. We do not know what to do and wish for your intelligent guidance on this situation,” Cub explained. The problem had come up a week ago and after a discussion with Scar, the two had decided to consult with the Vex so as to not accidentally anger them with their decision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm, what community are these people talking about?” Even though Vex didn’t really have hands, the Vex seemed to rest their chin in their palm, curiously leaning forward in their diamond throne.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Three have accepted an invitation to a community called Hermitcraft,” the mage replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! I’ve heard of it! We’ve been trying to get a mage in there for years! This is the perfect opportunity, Cub.” The Vex was now bouncing, or rather hovering, in their chair, a large grin rapidly growing on their face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should mention that my partner, Scar, and I have received invitations to the community as well. We have not responded to the admin of Hermitcraft yet, as we wanted to know your plans for us first,” Cub somewhat casually added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! Absolutely join them! This is just wonderful! I’ve been dreaming for years about what we could do with Hermitcraft under Vex control and you two are just the right mages to do the job. I’ve always believed in you, Cub, and you’re really making me proud,” the Vex gushed. Cub managed to hide his own internal smile, as mages were not supposed to show emotions, but seeing the Vex excited about the decision he and Scar had wanted to make anyway was a very, very good thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, sir Vex,” the mage politely responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, go accept that invitation and tell your partner to do the same. We will send you new orders as soon as we can. You are dismissed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cub gave a quick bow before hurrying out of the room, smiling up a storm. He could not wait to get back to Scar and tell him the news that they would be allowed to join Hermitcraft. Scar had been quite despondent for the past week due to the uncertainty of their situation, and hopefully this would cheer him up a bit.</span>
</p><p>—————</p><p>
  <span>For a while, Hermitcraft had been the perfect oasis for Cub and Scar. Far away from the Vex compound, the controlling magic didn’t seem as strong and the two could think and act for themselves. Neither was going to tell on the other for their technically treasonous thoughts and they resolved to act like normal people, whatever that meant. They still stuck quite close together, however, if only to protect each other from an accidental slipup about their identity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scar spent a lot of time alone, initially. He was incredibly concerned about the Vex lurking behind any corner and was terrified that Cub would get caught not creating enough chaos as well. After a month passed, the scarred man relaxed his guard just a bit and started hanging around Cub most of the time. The two were still each other’s best confidants, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Later into season 4 of Hermitcraft, Cub asked Scar about visiting his sister back at the compound. He hadn’t seen Rosie in almost a year and he couldn’t shake loose dreadful thoughts that she was dead. Scar was understandably worried about the Vex conducting a painful interrogation or taking them over if they were unsatisfied with the two having accomplished nothing for their magical masters. Thus, the two decided to use just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> bit of magic to create just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> bit of chaos. Their reasoning was that it was to make the Vex happy when Cub came by to visit Rosie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, something clicked in Cub and Scar when they used their magic. It was like some deep thirst that they had never known about had been quenched, though not really. Truly, it only awakened more desires to use their magic, involuntary ones at that. Both of them had been shaking as they had explained the feelings to each other in hushed secrecy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After Cub had finally gotten his visit and been reassured that Rosie was still alive and somewhat alright, the urges got worse. By the end of season 4, both men were so exhausted from resisting the call of the Vex that they could barely get out of bed in the morning. The most life seen out of them during that time was in a group meeting when everyone was voting over whether to end the season. Cub raised an enthusiastic yes and Scar almost cried when the vote passed unanimously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A new season didn’t help at all, unfortunately. Finally, the two gave up and gave in. The ConVex, as they called themselves, was in full swing and pranking people left and right. If they could have said something, Cub and Scar would have tearfully apologized and explained that it wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> them wreaking all of the havoc. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t have a choice and they couldn’t say anything, though. They were merely vessels for the Vex to channel their power through on their quest to take over everything. Of course, it wasn’t good and they didn’t want to do any of the pranks the Vex forced them to pull. It was just too much work to say no.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>How do y’all feel about a Christmas oneshot tomorrow? I’ve been busy with a big school project this week, but I have two Christmas stories done already.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. “I’m Sorry”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A fork in the road is ahead. And inaction is one of the choices.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Vex had let up a little bit during Season 6, though their siren call still beckoned Cub and Scar to control Hermitcraft through capitalism rather than chaos. ConCorp was insanely successful and the Vex had never been more pleased with the duo. The long season had taken its toll on the two, though, and they were constantly on the verge of passing out from exhaustion. However, there was always more work to do.</p><p>Thankfully, the season seemed to be coming to a close and the hermits voted at a meeting to end the season in three weeks, giving everyone time to finish up projects. It also gave the group some time to recover from the events of Demise, a break Cub desperately needed. After he died during his Mr. Invincible stunts, the Vex had taken complete control for several months, and once he had finally been released by the Vexnos, Cub had literally started weeping from relief. He had slept for two entire days as well, though he was still unbelievably tired. From his brief conversations with Scar, the other man was feeling the horrible effects of Demise, too.</p><p>The pair had two weeks to finish up the ConCorp campus, which they were dragging themselves around like zombies. If anyone came to visit, they had plenty of excuses ready to send them away quickly, as the two couldn’t handle company then. All they could really do was build and work on projects, one after another. </p><p>One day, Cub was mindlessly tinkering with a redstone door when Scar stumbled up next to the man.</p><p>“Hey Cub. Are you free right now to talk?” His voice was practically emotionless and incredibly weary, the same as Cub’s.</p><p>“Yeah, totally. You want to go to the boardroom?” </p><p>“Sure,” Scar quietly answered.</p><p>Silently, Cub set down his materials and slowly traveled across the ConCorp campus and down the water elevators into the grand boardroom. Once upon a time, this had been a fun building project and the two had laughed and smiled while gathered at the table with their parrots. Now, Cub plopped into a chair and drooped his head straight onto the table, blankly watching Scar next to him stroke Jellie’s fur with one finger. Several minutes of sleepy silence passed before Scar half-heartedly sighed and finally spoke.</p><p>“Cub, I can’t do this anymore.”</p><p>“Wait, what is ‘this’?” Lifting up his eyes, Cub briefly made eye contact with Scar, his heavy heart cracking a little more when he saw the desperate look in Scar’s expression.</p><p>“Just, everything. I can’t…” </p><p>The builder dropped his head into his hands and his body began to shake as Scar choked out sobs. Gently, Cub wrapped his arms around his friend, enveloping Scar in whatever small comfort he could offer. The two stayed like that for a long time. Words were just too hard.</p><p>“I’m sorry for everything,” Scar eventually whispered, his voice cracking a bit at the beginning of the sentence.</p><p>“Scar, it’s oka-” </p><p>“I can’t be a mage anymore. It’s just too much. I have to get away from the Vex and I know that I’m going to do it next season. I can’t let them control me anymore,” the builder whimpered. Eyes wide, Cub’s mind raced through the new information, finally coming to a grim conclusion.</p><p>“They’ll kill you,” he muttered.</p><p>“I don’t even know if I care.” A singular tear rolled down Scar’s cheek and Cub carefully brushed it away, hugging his friend just a bit tighter.</p><p>“Oh, Scar.”</p><p>“If I can’t live my life free from their control, then why should I live?” The pure defeat in Scar’s tone was heart-wrenching to listen to and Cub could barely stand it.</p><p>“Scar, if you need to get away from them, then do it. Please. I need you to live,” he shakily responded.</p><p>    “I know, but if they won’t let me go, I’d rather have them kill me than force me to destroy everyone else here.”</p><p>“I can understand that, unfortunately,” Cub replied, looking down at the floor.</p><p>“Are you going to stay with them?” Scar turned to face his friend, who still wasn’t able to make eye contact.</p><p>“Well, you know… my situation,” Cub choked out.</p><p>“They’d kill her if you tried to go.”</p><p>“Y-yes, they would.” For the first time, Cub’s usually strong and steady voice was cracking apart.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Scar whispered.</p><p>“I mean, I want to get away from them, but... she would die. I don’t know how I would survive that.” Cub’s expression was completely blank as he rested his chin on top of Scar’s head, a gesture the builder didn’t object to.</p><p>“Cub, I’m not forcing you to choose between me and her. I just can’t stay myself. If you choose her, then we could still be friends. It’s really up to you.”</p><p>“I… I’ll think about it,” Cub sighed. “And Scar, please live if it’s an option.”</p><p>“I’ll keep that in mind.”</p><p>“I suppose that’s the most I’m getting from you. Well, goodbye.”</p><p>“Goodbye.” </p><p>It wasn’t really goodbye, though, as neither had enough energy to move. The two ended up falling asleep in complete silence, still clinging tightly to each other.</p><p> </p><p>—————</p><p> </p><p>The next day had arrived quite early in the morning, even before the sun had risen. Cub finally had enough energy to get up and go outside, gently leaving Scar’s head resting on a pillow. It was a bit of a hike, but Cub was able to make it out onto the yacht on the lake, where he settled in a chair to watch the sunrise. </p><p>Soon, the first rays of light began to peek over the horizon, melting some of the inky darkness into flush pinks and oranges. As the ball of light rose higher in the sky, the entire cosmodrome exploded with color, casting a warm glow upon Cub’s face. </p><p>He continued to watch the dawn of the day for a while until he heard some footsteps nearby. Worried they belonged to hostile mobs, Cub spun around with sword in hand, but he quickly lowered it when he saw Scar creeping along the edge of the yacht.</p><p>“Hey Cub.” Scar was loosely cradling Jellie in his arms, the cat content to stay up and away from the water.</p><p>“Oh, hello Scar,” Cub replied, a hint of cheerfulness sprinkled into his tone. “Come sit down.”</p><p>Cub gestured to another chair beside him and Scar slowly settled into the piece of furniture, Jellie stretching out her furry limbs on his lap.</p><p>“Look, I just want to say that I’m sorry,” Scar sighed.</p><p>“What do you have to be sorry for?” Cub partially scrunched up his eyebrows.</p><p>“I feel like I kind of threatened you and pushed you to leave the Vex when we talked yesterday,” the builder quietly answered.</p><p>“Scar, please-” Cub let out a breath and was ready to begin a long monologue, but Scar politely interrupted him.</p><p>“May I finish?” Slowly, Cub nodded. “I’m sorry for using the threat of ending my life to try to get you to come with me. You should be able to make that decision without any pushing like that from me.”</p><p>“Scar, don’t worry about it. I could tell that yesterday you really were on the brink. It wasn’t manipulative at all. If anything, <em> I </em> should be apologizing for leaving you alone for most of the day,” Cub explained with the most emotion seen from him in days.</p><p>“Oh no, let’s not start an apology-fest.” Scar shook his head.</p><p>“Sorry.” The word was said with a slight smile, which grew larger as Scar huffed out a short breath.</p><p>“Dang it, Cub!”</p><p>“That was too funny not to add,” he chuckled.</p><p>“I know.” The brief atmosphere of joy soon died out and Scar turned back to Cub, a more serious look on his face. “I’d ask you if you’ve thought about your own decision, but I’m going to take a wild guess that it’s pretty much all you’ve been thinking about.”</p><p>“And you would be unfortunately correct,” Cub flatly replied.</p><p>“Well, no matter what you pick, I’m still going to try to be here for you,” Scar warmly responded.</p><p>“When are you going to tell them?” Any hint of happiness was wiped off of the builder’s expression at that question.</p><p>“Hopefully by the end of the week. It depends on when they next summon me, though they seem to like you more as of late.” It was true that the Vex had been calling on Cub much more than Scar, even before Demise.</p><p>“Perhaps they can sense our growing discontentment,” Cub offered.</p><p>“I sure hope not. I don’t want to go back to the Hazy Days.” Both men looked out at the water and shivered at that statement. That was their nickname for the majority of season 5, when the Vex ruled over them completely. Cub and Scar had still been in their own heads, but they had been pushed far to the back and their memories of that season were very fuzzy. Once season 6 had started, the two had apologized to every hermit that they had pranked, though they were sure that they had missed some because of the gaps in their memories.</p><p>“When I leave, I’m going to apologize to everyone for all of the chaos I caused, for real,” Scar stated, earning a nod from Cub.</p><p>“That’s good, that’s good,” he muttered.</p><p>“Here,” Scar set Jellie down on the deck and reached out his arms towards Cub, who gratefully accepted the hug.  “Want me to stay?”</p><p>“That’d actually be nice,” Cub whispered back before the two pulled apart.</p><p>“Do you want to talk some more or do something to take your mind off of things?”</p><p>    “There’s always more to do at ConCorp,” Cub grimaced, though Scar attempted to put a positive spin on it.</p><p>“That is true. Where should we work today?” Taking in a deep breath, Cub decided to play along with the whole “being positive” thing for the day, if only to help out Scar.</p><p>“I’ve been trying to connect the front entrance to the Hermit Rail Network lately,” he grinned. “Want to check over my work so far?”</p><p>“Sure!”</p><p>With a partially false cheerfulness, the two business partners rose up from their chairs, Jellie following close behind Scar, and strolled out to the front gate. Cub needed a lot of time to think his decision through and perhaps mindlessly working on projects would help him not feel so lost and unanchored. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi lovely people! I have come to you today with another chapter and a question: how does one get a song unstuck from their head? Playing it on repeat for several hours is not working. If you have suggestions, please let me know.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. “Wish Granted”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A simple ask, a weighted request, a terrifying answer.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Triggers for previous suicidal thoughts and mentions of death. Next chapter is rather violence heavy, but you can skip over it and still understand the basics of what happened.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Once again, Cub found himself in the wretched summoning room, not even bothering to admire the gorgeous stained glass windows. He knew that their beauty came from blood, and certainly not blood spilled from the Vex. All of their treasures were stolen or created from others suffering and he could not find good in the objects any more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To fulfill this mission, however, Cub would need to swallow his disgust and act like he wholeheartedly believed in the Vex’s cruel agenda. As was protocol, he knelt before the throne of the Vex at the end of the hall, forcing himself to sound excited to be in front of such a wicked creature.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honorable Vex, I wish to make a humble request of you,” Cub managed to state</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, Cub. Good to see you here.” The Vex waved their scepter, giving Cub permission to return to his feet. “What is your wish?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would like to have a conversation with Rosie.” He had made this request about once a month for years and it was never denied. This was just a necessary ritual.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, wish granted. Someone escort him over to that wing, please,” the Vex yelled at the Ven servants hovering around in the hall. One of the Ven floated over and meekly volunteered themself for the task, earning a nod from the ruler.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, honorable Vex,” Cub quickly bowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are welcome and dismissed,” the Vex replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ven fluttered about in the air as they led Cub out of the hall and into the main corridor, turning corners and walking paths that were all too familiar to the mage. His mind wandered just a bit as they walked, but Cub was careful enough to make sure that none of the nearby Ven were reading his thoughts. The compound was bursting with magic and he would have to be extra cautious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon enough, the little Ven stopped in front of Rosie’s door and chattered out a spell, getting it wrong twice before the door swung open. Cub slowly stepped inside, still pretending to need the help of the Ven for a few more brownie points. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C-cub, you may visit,” the creature stuttered out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he warmly replied, trying to calm the poor Ven’s nerves a little bit. Then, he took in a deep breath and stared directly into the Ven’s beady little eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will not listen to, see, or remember what happens in this room. You will remember that I sat here in silence until you returned me to the summoning room,” Cub levelly recited, receiving a stiff nod from the Ven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, he could talk freely with Rosie, but the spell would only stay up for so long, thus he needed to make this quick. That would be hard, especially considering what he needed to talk about today. Cub paused for a moment before lifting up the door to Rosie’s cell and climbing inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Charlie, good to see you!” The woman lifted her head and smiled at her brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Rosie,” Cub whispered. “You have no idea how glad </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> am to see you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long can you keep the shield up?” she curtly asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m getting much better. We can talk for 15 minutes uncensored, probably,” he cautiously answered.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Do you need 15 minutes?” Rosie’s eyes were carefully tracking Cub’s grim expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps,” he admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s on your mind? Then we can make small talk.” Flipping back a stray lock of her hair, Rosie adjusted her position to make room for Cub to sit down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, those jerks took complete control for three months and I just got released two weeks ago,” the man grimaced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry,” she muttered, her gaze drifting down to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something like that happened to Scar, too, and he’s not doing great,” Cub added, a few recent memories coming back that he quickly pushed away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, we were talking a few days ago and he’s going to leave the Vex later this week,” Cub sighed. He figured that he may as well get right to the point, seeing as he didn’t have much time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t know you could do that,” Rosie flatly remarked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s prepared to not come back from the meeting,” Cub whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm,” she somberly responded. “I hope things go okay. Pass that along to him, will you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. Anyway, um, he asked me if I wanted to leave as well. And,” Cub looked off to the side, unable to meet his sister’s gaze, “I really do. After the last few months, I don’t want to be possessed again. The problem is, I don’t think they’d let </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what you mean,” Rosie replied, her emotion impossible to detect. Sighing with a heavy heart, Cub sank his head into his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I’m being selfish or what, but I don’t think I can do this Vex mage thing any more. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to taste life again without these stupid jerks over my shoulder and in my head all of the time. But I know that it’ll cost you,” he swallowed hard, his throat tightening up all of the sudden, “it’ll cost you everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several moments of tense silence passed, Cub not daring to look at Rosie, before she finally spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Charlie, please listen to me. I have had so many moments in these last fifteen or whatever years where I flat out didn’t want to live any more,” the woman began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sor-” Cub whimpered, but Rosie refused to let him continue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t apologize. I knew you were trying your best,” she firmly stated. “I wanted to die so that I couldn’t be kept miserably half-alive. I don’t feel that way as much as of late, but I am not scared of death. When they finally kill me, I will go in with my head held high and I will laugh in the face of the reaper. My time has come and I am prepared and ready to leave this life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cub looked up at his sister in shock, taking in her calm, steady expression with wide eyes. She wasn’t finished, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember all the way back when we were first forced into this world? Dumb, naive 16 year olds, barrelling through life with no cares and no weight on our shoulders? I was on the verge of death and I was scared. I was about to be captured, and you took my place. You stood up to them and screamed, ‘No, take me!’ Of course, that didn’t exactly save either of us, but you were so strong. And you’ve been strong for all of these years, trying to keep your humanity intact and not fully submit to their power. I don’t think that I could have done it,” she explained, pausing for a little bit before resting her compassionate gaze directly on her brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Charlie, you sacrificed yourself for me, now I will sacrifice myself for you. My death will set you free, and I want you to be free. Please, do not be afraid to leave them. I will not blame you in the slightest for my death. I am ready, and it is time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing was said for the longest time, Rosie having spoken her piece and Cub barely able to take it in. Could he possibly be happy that his sister </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span>him to leave the Vex, even if that meant her death? At that moment in time, the only response he had was tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rosie…” he choked out, causing Rosie to sweep him up in a tight hug. Her body was warm and though she smelled of death, Cub could have sworn that her scent resembled that of roses, just like the perfume she always used to wear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh, it’s okay,” she muttered. “Let’s just savor this time, shall we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Holding tightly to each other, the conversation continued onto other topics, the two pretending that this wasn’t likely the last time they’d ever speak. Cub burned every moment into his memory, not wanting to waste a second of this precious meeting to think about how to say goodbye.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. "You Are Wrong"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is the end. </p><p>(Or is it really the beginning?)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is very trigger heavy. However, I think that you can skip right over it and be fine. Chapter 7 gives a pretty good summary of events without going into too much detail. This is for all my angsty friends out there who pretty much live on this stuff.</p><p>Trigger Warnings: Lots of blood, one-sided fighting, a character is tied up, death</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was ridiculous by now how many times Cub had ended up in this summoning room, bowing in sky blue robes before a ruler he despised with a burning passion. At least this time, Scar was at his side, their hands tightly clasped together underneath the folds of fabric. The two had resolved to talk to the Vex at the same time and Cub was grateful for the support.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vex, Scar and I wish to speak to you,” Cub firmly stated, allowing a bit of his internal hatred to flare in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, you two. Speak your piece,” the Vex plainly ordered, lazily twirling their scepter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are leaving your power,” Cub replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several moments of silence passed before an unearthly chuckle came from the Vex, their body shaking with a speck of laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha, that’s funny,” the Vex grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, we refuse to be Vex mages any longer. We. Are. Done,” Scar spat out, his courage warming Cub’s heart. The Vex was, of course, not nearly as happy about that. Their eyebrows angled inward and their tiny, glowing eyes narrowed, glaring right into the duo’s souls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, you will soon see that you made the wrong choice, fools,” the Vex cackled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A bright flash of light split the room and suddenly, the two men were separated. If Cub really concentrated, he could still feel Scar’s hand, so he knew that it was all an illusion, set up by the enraged Vex. However, the mental barrier was so hard to cross that Cub just didn’t have the energy to yell an affirmation to Scar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magic had also forced him to his knees and kept him frozen in place, but he knew that he had to pick his battles. Nothing useful would come out of being able to run away. That wasn’t the point of this meeting, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Focusing internally, Cub listened for his friend’s voice and barely made out the conversation between Scar and the Vex.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I command you, Vex, to leave me. Take your magic away.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Now, why would we do that?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I have commanded you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Do you think we care?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Kill me, then. Kill me or let me go free.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ah, so annoying. But what’s another silly little mage without his magic? You will soon see that without us, you are useless. We’ll grant you your wish. Soon, you will come back to us, crying for your magic. You will have learned that you are nothing without us, boy.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The voices died out from there, as Cub presumed that the Vex were leaving Scar and taking his magic away. After a moment, the cool feeling of Scar’s fingers wrapped around his own faded away and Cub had no idea where his friend could have gone. Unfortunately, he couldn’t focus on that, as it was now his turn to deal with the Vex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cub, Cub, Cub. Such a selfish decision you have made.” The ruler clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “Don’t you realize that there are consequences for your actions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do,” Cub calmly answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surprising. Seems like you didn’t consider Rosie here.” With a snap of the ruler’s fingers, Rosie appeared in the throne room, tied up and guarded by many armed Ven. Evidently, the Vex was expecting a scream, shaky pleas for mercy, or at least a whimper. Cub refused to give them the satisfaction of a reaction, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, suddenly silent, aren’t we? Last chance, Cub. You could be great, unlike this idiot over here,” the Vex flicked their wrist at where Scar had been, seeming to roll their eyes as well. Even though it hurt like mad, Cub still remained silent and stared straight ahead at Rosie, who was surprisingly calm, given that she knew she was about to die.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. Suffer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ruler pointed his scepter at the Ven, who eagerly picked up on the cue to begin the attack. A disturbing cross between a hiss and a shout of delight erupted from the rabid servants, sending shivers down Cub’s spine. Then, they threw their fists to the sky, chanting some sort of war cry before beginning their quest for blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their tiny iron swords pricked the defenseless woman all over, trickles of blood staining her ragged prison uniform. Each stab got closer and closer to a fatal wound, yet Rosie kept silent and perfectly calm. She was used to torture and she had accepted her fate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cub was still struggling with that point, however. Truly, he didn’t know if he ever would. The man barely managed to avoid making a sound, but hot tears were blurring over his vision and streaking down his cheeks. Still, he continued to watch the horrid scene in front of him, unable to tear his eyes away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After what seemed like forever, especially with the wicked ruler’s cackles echoing through the summoning room, one of the Ven got in the last blow. The red blood flowed from Rosie’s wounds faster than ever before and from the metallic taste of the air, Cub knew that this was the end. Sucking in one last, shaky breath, Rosie tipped her head back, and she began to laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every creature in the room suddenly fell silent as they were stunned by her vibrant laughter in the face of certain death. For certain, Cub knew that the memory would never, ever leave him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, she crumpled to the ground, still heavily bleeding, but her chest no longer rising and falling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a long time to process, but she was dead. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Rosie was dead. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Vex at least gave Cub a minute to weep before returning to the mental torture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, what do you have? Without us, you are nothing,” the ruler hissed, obviously pleased with themself and how they had managed to break Cub. Glancing out at his sister’s body, Cub took a deep breath before gritting his teeth and lifting up his chin to stare the Vex down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are wrong.” The three words were incredibly difficult to force out, but the small truth relieved the crushing pressure in his head just a little bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am Charlie,” he added, finally setting aside his bloodstained nickname.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am something.” The Vex were slowly losing their grip and each sentence became easier to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am important.” The ruler was hissing at that one, but Cub refused to let them say otherwise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am valuable.” Now, he could move again and Cub slowly rose up to his feet, still looking right at the seething Vex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am worth it,” Cub choked out. The Vex were not happy that they were losing control and all of the magical bonds were being redirected to his mind.</span>
</p><p><span>“I am my own person,” he breathed, closing his eyes and gathering up all of his strength. Finally, he threw his arms out, forcibly pushing the wretched creatures out of his head.</span><span><br/></span> <span>“</span><em><span>And I don’t need you!</span></em><span>” Cub screamed, the last truth ringing through the hall for a few seconds.</span></p><p>
  <span>Then, a horrendous scream ripped through the air before disintegrating into blessed, blissful silence. The omnipresent whisper and hum of the Vex magic was gone for the first time in so many years. Magic was everywhere, but it couldn’t control Cub any longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Cub opened his eyes next, he was no longer in the summoning room of the Vex compound. Instead, he was breathing in fresh, sweet air from the sea around the world spawn. He was back on Hermitcraft, and so was Scar, alive and well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two men sprinted towards each other, crushing each other in a desperate hug. They were finally, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> free and they never wanted to let go.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. “Aura of Misery”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Too sensitive.</p><p>Too weak.</p><p>Too much of a burden.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was a truly somber day at ConCorp. True, practically every day for the previous month had been devoid of joy and barely held together by plastic smiles. This, however, was something of a different sorrow. A deep undertone of despair and hopelessness resonated throughout the campus that day, sending a chill through anyone who came close to the area. This was the day of Rosie’s funeral.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Cub and Scar had no way to retrieve her body from the cruel grasp of the Vex, so they had more of a memorial service. That was perfectly fine with Cub, who honestly couldn’t imagine having to leave his sister’s grave behind in just a few days to travel to season 7. He would rather remember Rosie in his heart and soul, whom he was absolutely certain that he would never forget about. The impact of her noble sacrifice would never leave him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Part of the honoring of Rosie’s legacy was Cub giving up his birth name of Charlie. Even though the name “Cub” carried with it the weight of so much agony and horror, “Charlie” had only been used by Rosie. He just couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else calling him that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Over the years, Cub had collected a small box full of mementos to remind him of his sister. There were plenty of wood carvings, a ring, an intricate glass bottle, and a crown of dried roses inside. He had also managed to secret away a tape of her singing “Amazing Grace”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For various reasons, Cub hadn’t listened to the recording in many years and once Scar pressed the play button, he knew exactly why. His friend, being as amazing as he was, had built a private room inside of a mountain at ConCorp and constructed an area to keep Cub’s memorial. Scar had also informed everyone that the two were not to be disturbed for the day and he had done all of the work for Cub as the man had heavily grieved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, Scar couldn’t protect his friend from the overwhelming tide of emotion that came at hearing Rosie’s angelic voice singing that hymn. Crumpling into himself, tears flowed steadily and hard down Cub’s cheeks, with him occasionally choking out a pained sob. Scar gently wrapped his arms around Cub and rocked back and forth, merely offering up his comforting presence as an additional gift. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Few words were spoken at the memorial, as Cub couldn’t get any words out and Scar didn’t have much to say. Instead, the two spent several hours grieving the heavy loss of their escape from the Vex. They had known about the consequences going in, but that didn’t make them any less impactful. In fact, the prior knowledge had only made the situation weigh even heavier upon the two.</span>
</p><p>—————</p><p>
  <span>A few weeks later, season 7 of Hermitcraft had finally started. Everyone was excited to have Etho, Beef, xB, and Hypno back with the group once again. In general, the hype was through the roof and people were enthusiastically chipping away at starter bases and long, early-season grinds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cub was definitely one of those people, and his massive pyramid project was earning plenty of attention from other hermits. Several of them had been somewhat surprised to see that Cub wasn’t working with Scar this season. The two had been inseparable for so long that it was almost impossible to imagine them apart. He had his reasons, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The split wasn’t anything dramatic, really. It had all started with the departure from the Vex and both needing time and space to grieve their losses. Once Cub could think at least partially clearly through the foggy haze of grief, the first emotion to come back was guilt. He had been so much work for Scar to take care of during that time, he reasoned, that he just needed to give his friend some space to work things about by himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two had never sat down and discussed anything, but things just seemed to be happening naturally anyway. Grian became good friends with Scar since they lived so close together and Cub… well, he was a pharaoh. A pharaoh without a pyramid, sure, but he was quickly fixing that issue. All the grand buildings in the world couldn’t fix the odd void in Cub’s heart, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was what he was reflecting upon one evening while building up the frame of his gigantic pyramid. He really didn’t want to be a burden upon Scar, who had enough to deal with. The poor guy had put up with Cub’s aura of misery for long enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Throughout those first days, Scar had constantly reassured Cub that it was okay to feel like that and experiencing his feelings was a good thing. Recalling those conversations always led to a horrid loop of Rosie’s death, played back in slow motion, of course. The Vex had known what they were doing, and they must have predicted how much more her death would tear Cub apart than he had expected. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thoughts continued to build up as Cub steadily hacked away at his work, trying to bury his emotions deep inside so that he could actually go for a day without breaking down. Like always, that strategy didn’t work and eventually, everything just became too much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If anyone had been flying by the pyramid at about that time, they would have noticed a figure collapsed inwardly, shaking and faintly sobbing out a name. No one was flying by, though, and the sun merely continued its eternal journey through the sky, sinking below the horizon and finally plunging the pharaoh into physical darkness.</span>
</p><p>—————</p><p>
  <span>The gentle mid-morning sun streamed in through the water curtain of Impulse’s base, the glare almost blinding to a few hermits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gaah!” Tango could be heard not-too-quietly muttering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Problems?” Xisuma asked, having been interrupted mid-monologue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The stupid sun is in my eyes,” he complained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then move?” Impulse suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s not enough room to move my chair,” Tango whined. Evidently, he hadn’t yet consumed enough coffee to be a generally pleasant person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll trade spots,” Cub spoke up, Tango eagerly taking him up on the offer.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>The meeting continued on without too many more hiccups and Xisuma quickly got through his short agenda. It was Impulse’s turn to host the weekly meeting and he was well prepared with a full brunch for afterwards. Most hermits stuck around to have a bite to eat and to chat about various, random things. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Cub had already eaten breakfast and was in a relatively good mood, so he dragged a chair over to Impulse, Cleo, and xB. Cleo hung upside down over the back edge of her chair as per usual and xB was sitting criss-cross applesauce in a very peaceful manner. Impulse fiddled with the strings of his hoodie while talking and occasionally glanced over at Tango to make sure nothing was exploding. However, the four of them were soon wrapped in a fascinating conversation about the upcoming update.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Impulse was geeking out about some new mechanics that would make farms easier and Cub was pleased with the new uses for gold. xB explained how he wanted to use the new blocks in his apocalyptic town and Cleo went on length about new adventures to take, eventually plunging into a story of her own devising.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>While the zombie-woman told her riveting tale, Cub began to notice an odd feeling in his stomach, growing ever larger as the story continued. Soon, he realized why. The two characters she had made up were just like him and Rosie. She had even named the male one Charlie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t blame her too much for it, as she would have had no way of knowing that it was painful. Still, it hurt so much to listen. Everyone else was definitely enjoying it, though, so Cub sucked it up and gripped his chair even tighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, don’t you know that life is about more than things? </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s about the adventure!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cleo’s delightful British accent was perfect for the story, but Cub just couldn’t take it anymore, not when he had heard Rosie say that exact phrase to him so many times before. Hurriedly, he leapt up from his chair and started to take off into the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait! Cub?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could hear Impulse’s confused shout from behind him, but he ignored it. As he sped through the air faster and faster, his vision got even more blurry. Inside of his head, he desperately tried not to get mad at Cleo for this breakdown.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>It wasn’t her fault, truly. No, it was all Cub’s problem. It was his fault that he could still barely get through a day without crying over Rosie. Cleo meant no harm; he was just too sensitive. Too weak. Too much of a burden. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. “Remember To Breathe”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is the beginning.</p><p>(Or is it the end?)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>When I was creating my outline for this whole story, I was working backwards from this scene, and I was so excited to get to write this that I finished the whole thing in 24 hours. Normally, a chapter of something takes me at least a few days, so it was good to work so quickly.</p><p>If the writing styles in this chapter seems to contrast a lot, that’s because I wrote all the dialogue one night in silence, the descriptions in the first half the next morning while listening to Christmas music, and the descriptions in the second half that night while listening to Mozart’s Requiem. I write far less casually while listening to classical music, but it’s also easier to write descriptions.</p><p>Also, if you haven't read "Through The Fire and Flames" yet, I would highly recommend you do so before reading this chapter. It's one of my more recent oneshots.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The humid August air practically stuck to xB as he strolled about the shopping district. Thankfully, the nearby sea cooled off the temperature enough so that it wasn’t unbearable. Still, the man had left his sweatshirt at home and had pulled on shorts instead of sweatpants that morning. With that outfit plus a baseball cap, it was actually quite enjoyable to walk around the shopping district, occasionally popping into a store to see if anything was on sale. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As his walk went on, xB began to notice that some of the shops were filled with rose bushes. Upon further inspection of the odd sight, it seemed that piles of dirt had been deliberately shoveled into random shops and roses planted in the new ground. Careful to avoid the prickly thorns, xB smiled at the pretty flowers, though he was still rather confused as to why they were there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took another ten minutes of searching a few of those shops to figure out that it was because they hadn’t paid for a road access pass. One of those shops was unfortunately xB’s own, the Red Zone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dang it, Bobby!” xB muttered to himself. “Gotta talk to Bdubs about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That mystery solved, the man went on his way, taking a bit of time to explore Xisuma’s in-progress moon biome before deciding to head back home. Walking down the main road to the town hall, xB noticed that Grian’s barge was about half-filled with roses. Curious, he popped his head in to see who was responsible for the flowers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After glancing around for a moment, he noticed a crumpled figure in one of the alcoves of the shop. Cautiously, he approached them, suddenly picked up on the faint sounds of crying. Putting two and two together, xB knelt down a few feet away from the person before quietly asking a question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, buddy? Are you okay?” Their head quickly shook from side to side, finally giving xB a clue as to who it was: Cub.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it okay if I touch you?” After a moment of contemplation, Cub nodded, still collapsed into himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, this is xB and I’m just going to give you a hug right now. You don’t need to talk unless you want to, alright?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another nod came from the pharoah, so xB gently scooted closer to him and wrapped his arms around Cub’s shaking figure. Even more tears fell to the ground as xB slowly rocked back and forth, hoping that the motion would be some sort of small comfort. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several minutes passed where no words were spoken. Eventually, xB began wondering if perhaps Cub didn’t want anyone knowing about this, and thus the shopping district wasn’t the best place to continue this interaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, would you be more comfortable coming back to my base?” he quietly asked. “Then we can be somewhere quiet and alone.” Cub gave a simple nod, confirming xB’s suspicions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I see your communicator for a second?” Without a word, the pharaoh placed the device in xB’s palm. Quickly navigating to the admin screens, xB took advantage of Cub’s minor admin abilities to type in a few commands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on, I’m going to teleport both of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a press of a button, the two suddenly materialized in xB’s base, thousands of blocks away from the shopping district. xB set Cub’s communicator on the ground and offered him a hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silently and without judgement, he guided the pharaoh to his living room, which had more comfortable furniture. Once Cub was settled on the sofa, xB quickly ran to grab a few blankets and curled up next to the other man. Now more comfortable and private, the two remained in silence for a very long time, Cub needing to expel oceans of tears from his system. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” the pharaoh eventually whimpered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For what?” xB murmured back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Distracting you, being a burden-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, just stop,” xB gently interrupted him. “You are absolutely not a burden. Something’s obviously wrong, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to help you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cub turned his body a bit so that xB could see his face once more. He could see that the pharaoh wasn’t quite convinced that xB actually cared, yet he seemed to play along nevertheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” was the plain reply, accompanied by a strained sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you like me to help you fix a problem, listen for a while, or leave you alone?” xB gently inquired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe listen, for now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright. I’ll try my best not to interrupt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After taking in a shaky breath, Cub began to spill out the whole tale. Starting with the fact that Rosie was his twin sister, he continued on to explain how they were captured by the Vex, his training as a Vex mage, his deep friendship with Scar, the pranks they had pulled on Hermitcraft, the long periods of possession, and finally, the two men’s escape from the powerful magic. Several times, he had to pause in order to wipe tears from his eyes, and the further he got along, the more emotional he became. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>xB did not interrupt one single time, merely listening to and absorbing the sorrowful story. In fact, when Cub choked through the part about Rosie’s sacrifice, xB could feel tears welling up in his own eyes. It reminded him a bit of his own story, though he still couldn’t imagine the agony that Cub had been attempting to go through alone for the past six months. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, ugh,” Cub sighed. “I know I need to be better than this by now, but I just thought that I could plant those roses and not break down like this. Honor her without collapsing again, you know. But, oh, I was wrong. Why is this happening? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why does it hurt so much still?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For several pained moments, the room remained silent as xB formulated his answer. Cub’s desperate, shattered expression was weighing heavily on his heart, so he mustered up all the empathy he could envelop the poor man in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cub, I want to say that I am so incredibly sorry that this has happened to you. I’ve been in a similar place before, but I still can barely imagine your own pain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Instantly, Cub froze up, his head evidently having caught up just then with his mind. He was on the verge of likely apologizing before xB raised a hand to signal that it was fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had an older sister named Brenna, and she died helping me escape from a house fire. It was a bit over eight years ago, but it still weighs on me to this day. Every time I see someone with her hairstyle - almost black hair, tied up in a neat ballerina bun - I get my hopes up just a bit too much that she’s back. Every time I hear her favorite song, I have to stop whatever I’m doing and cry. And every time I deal with blue orchids, I can see her dancing so freely at her wedding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking out into the distance, xB quietly sniffled, the explanation having recalled some of those memories.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. I’m so sorry,” Cub slowly replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” the other man answered, taking in a deep breath to clear his head before continuing. “It’s been a long journey of grieving, and I’m still not done with it yet. Honestly, based on what you’ve told me about your sister, I don’t know if it will ever fully stop hurting.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Cub’s shoulders slumped at that, causing xB to purse his lips together.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear. Is it alright if I give you some advice?” A slight nod gave xB permission to continue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think the first step is accepting that you’re not going to be okay for a while. It hurts more not to tell anyone and to try to hide your grief, rather than work through it. You don’t have to tell everyone all the details, but if you feel like you need to cry, then just do it. The explanations can come later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try,” Cub blankly stated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard, I know.” xB offered up a weak smile, carefully placing his hand on top of Cub’s to stabilize the still shaking man a bit. “I didn’t do a great job of that myself. You can always come to me if you’re having problems or just need someone to listen to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” the pharaoh nodded. A brief lull in the conversation gave the opportunity for an idea to suddenly come to xB’s mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, can you do something with me real quick?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Cub had just enough of a hint of cheer in his voice that xB figured his idea might work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First, get in a comfortable position,” xB instructed, settling into a criss-cross applesauce position on the sofa cushions and rolling his shoulders back. Cub did something similar and xB continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Put your arms out in front of you, your hands in fists. Close your eyes and take in a slow, deep breath. Now, think about Rosie. Whatever comes to mind, just let it stay there. Don’t push it away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tiniest of whines escaped Cub’s lips, causing xB to guess that the memory at hand wasn’t too pleasant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take another deep breath, don’t forget about that. Are you ready for the next part?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” the pharaoh quickly responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, breathe in, and unclench your fists as you breathe out,” the man explained, doing the same himself. “Let the memory float away. Take another breath. If it’s still around, just let it be. Remember to breathe. If you need to cry, just let it happen. You’re safe here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>xB waited another minute or so, noticing that Cub was repeatedly tightening and loosening his grasp on the edge of the sofa. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Once you’re ready, open your eyes.” Cub began rapidly blinking to get used to the light once again and xB gave him a small smile of comfort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It hurts,” Cub whimpered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It always hurts to remember,” xB admitted, “but it hurts more to hide. And the more you remember, the less it will hurt. Just always remember to breathe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Compassionate blue eyes met weary brown ones, leaving only a brief moment of tension before Cub threw his arms around xB and the two resumed a quiet period of reflection. The pharaoh did not seem as distressed as before, lightening up xB’s heart a bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dealing with grief and his past was never easy, but he was glad that he could help someone begin their journey of recovery. For Cub, it would need to start by just remembering Rosie. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that’s a wrap! Thank you so much if you’ve read all the way through this! I really hope that you enjoyed the story and please let me know what you think. Have a lovely day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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